Flash-absorber for machine-guns



E. P. WOKEN.

FLASH ABSORBER FOR MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1920.

1,339,61%. t ed M y 11, 1920-.

% k I I attozmga AT ATE Enron r. woxait, 0F non'rnwoon, noa'rn. DAKOTA.

FLASH-ABSORBER. FOB Macrame-suns.

- I Application filed March 6,

hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skllled 1n the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

p This invention relates to machine guns, and more especially to devices for hiding the flash and suppressing the smoke therefrom so as to prevent the enemy from locating the position of the firing piece,

The object of the invention isto produce an attachment for application to machine guns-as now in common use,'which contains means for mechanically arresting the sparks. and flames which are driven from the barrel, means for extinguishing them by water spray or steam taken from the reservoir or 25,, jacket, and means for-inclosing the entire mechanism within a hood for hiding or concealing the illumination completely.

The invention also includes details of construction whereby this general idea may be carried out, and it is described herein as for application to the Browning machine gun, although of course it could be applied to guns of other make.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section showing the front end of the machine gun with this attachment ap' lied. p Fig. 3 is a front'elevation and Fig. 4 a rear elevation of the attachment on a larger scale.

With respect to the machine. gun, we are concerned onlywith the reservoir or jacket J surrounding the barrel B for cooling, and the letter-S designates the front sight. The barrel as herein shown extendsthrough the jacket near the lower part of the-latter and out at its front end.

The numeral 1 designates'a hood which may be of sheet material and of any appropriate size and shape,'but by preference it is circular at its rear end where it is provided with a flange 2 having perforations 3 through which may be passed'screws 4 or other fastening devices for holding the flange-on the front end of the jacket 5!.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 111', 192% 1920. Serial No. 363,784.

Otherwise the hood is of any appropriate or desired shape and design, but preferably it curves downward as at 5 to what might be called a nose 6 which has an opening 7 directly alined with the axis of the barrel, and an inturned flange 8 aroundsa'id opening. Through the latter are projected the bullets as indicatedin dotted lines, and the flange catches and throws back to the' rear the sparks and burning gases ejected; from the 1 barrel and which would otherwisefbe visible.

Pivotally mounted through an opening at an appropriate point inthe flange 2 isa gate or valve v9 which may. be moved to close the barreLopeni'ng through the front end of the jacket when the barrel has becomechoked and has to be withdrawn for cleaning or repair, but ordinarily this gate stands open as seenin Fig. 4.

Y Tapped'th'rough the wall of the jacket near itstop at the point 10 is a small pipe 11 which is led over the flange and preferably inward through the wall of the hood as seen in Fig. 2, wherein it is branched as at 12, carried downward as at'l3, supported by a clip 14 attached to said wall, and the lower ends of the branches directed inward over the upper flange 8 in small nozzles 15.

By this -'means water spray or vapor, or

steam when it is generated within the jacket, is continuously fed downward and directed in jets rearward withinthe hood along the line of fire from the barrel through the openmg 7. stress of action, the more steam generated and therefore the stronger the jets. The latter of course extinguish the sparks and flames issuing from the barrel, so that no particles thereof pass through the opening 7 Therefore the flash is entirely absorbed, and the position of the gun is concealed from the enemy.

While the detailed construction herein shown is adapted for a certain make of machine gun, I desire it to be understood that the showing is only illustrative, and the invention is applicable to other makes; and the claims below are to be .construed with this understanding.

What is claimed is:

1. The herein described flash absorber for guns, the same comprising a hood having The hotter the gun gets under the.

a bullet-opening, means for supporting the in gand means within the hood 'for throwing a liquid jet onto the gases issuing from the barrel.

2. The herein described flash absorber for guns, the same comprising a hood having a bullet-opening, means for supporting the hood with said 'openingforward of and axially alined with the barrel, a flange within the hood around its opening bent toward the barrel, a pipe within the hood having a nozzle adjacent the flange also directed toward the barrel, and means for supplying liquid to said pipe.

3. The combination with a machine gun, and a jacket surrounding its barrel; of a flash absorber including a hood. secured to the jacket and having a bullet-opening in alinement with the barrel, a pipe carried by the hood and connected at one end with the steam space of said jacket, and a nozzle at the other end of the pipe directed toward the gases issuing from the barrel.

4. The combination with a machine gun,

.and a jacket surrounding its barrel; of a flash absorber including a hood secured to the jacket and having a bullet-opening in alinement with the barrel, a pipe connected at one end with the steam space of the jacket and led thence into the hood and branched, and nozzles on its branches adjacent said bullet-opening and directed toward the barrel.

5. The combination with a machine gun including a barrel, and a water jacket inclosing and rising above the same; of a flash,

absorber comprising a hood having a flan ed rearend for attachment to the front en of said jacket and a bullet-opening in its front end alined .with the barrel, its wall being turned rearwardly around'said opening into a flange, a pipe connected at one end'with the steam space of the jacket and extending mounted in said cut-away portion, nozzles within the hood directed toward the mouth of the barrel, and pipes connecting them with the steam space of the jacket.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature inrthe presence-of two witnesses.-

'ELFON P. WOKEN.

Witnesses:

HAssnL N. HALVERBON, H. H. Toms. 4

at one point adjacent the barrel, agate 

